Gabriel McKay of The Daily Record … does he think that he brings sad tidings tonight with the news that Dortmund have watched big Eddie and have decided not to pursue their interest? You know what? I hope all the clubs out there do exactly the same thing.
Because Eddie is crucial to our plans for winning that tenth title, and rumours that he’s to be given the Magnificent Seven shirt will mark him down as the key to the whole campaign. Edouard needs to be at Celtic Park. He needs to be in the Hoops.
What a coup it will be for us to build the new shirt campaign around him and his new shirt number.
It would be a masterstroke, and doubtless something that its roots in our new relationship with Adidas, who are almost certainly the ones pushing it.
McKay and his headline writers have actually gilded the lily somewhat, both in their headline and in the way they’ve framed the story. What actually happened was that Dortmund were very impressed by the player but balked at Celtic’s £30 million asking price.
So whilst The Record got their snide headline the story is a double triumph from the Celtic perspective; clubs know not to waste their time with an under-offer and Edouard remains our player, whilst continuing to draw respectful glances from all over Europe.
There is little doubt that Eddie will depart Celtic at some point; he’s too good a player not to have serious interest from across Europe.
When the present crisis ends, and it will end as hard to believe as that is, they will be flocking to Parkhead to watch him.
Some of them may even have that kind of money to spend, the kind that makes the cash we got for Kieran Tierney look small time.
There is no downside here, in spite of The Record’s clear attempt to suggest that the player just wasn’t fancied.
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